boutin



`.|. L. ROUTIN.

ANTl-MRCRAFT FIRE CONTROL.

A'PPLlcATlaN FILED sEPT.6.1.917.

Patented J uly 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I. L. ROUTIN.

.ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE CONTROL. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 6.1917.

Patented July 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH LOUIS BIOUTIN, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1920.

Application lcd September 6, 1917. Serial No. 190,084.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Louis ROUTIN, a citizen of the French Republic, and a resi dent of 2 Bue Olchanski, Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Anti-Aircraft Fire Control, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to improvements in long base chronotelemetrical apparatus for use in regulating the firing of anti-aircraft O'uns. b In my copending application Serial No. 182,311, filed July 23, 1917, now Patent No. 1,345,697, dated July 6, 1920, I have described a system of apparatus for use in regulating the firing of anti-aircraft guns wherein two posts or stations are provided, one of which is termed the battery station A and the other the auxiliary station B. Each station is provided with apparatus including means for determining the angular position of an aerial target Z. The battery Station is also provided with range-finding means, such as an alidade, controlled through suitable electric couplers with both stations. Such arrangement is well suited for the defense of fortified places or coasts, but it would be more diiiicult to apply on a fighting front by reason of the vlunerability of the electric lines connecting the two posts.

The object of the present improvement is to allow the omission of the electric lines connecting the auxiliary post A to the battery B; for this purpose the communications between these two posts are established, either by optical means, or again, by employing a telecontrol by means of I-Iertzian waves.

I will describe as an example how the result sought can be obtained by means of optical transmission, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 diagrammatically shows fire-control stations provided with one constructional form of my improvement and Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of signaling apparatus at one of the stations.

The simplest means consists in indicating at A the successive values of the angle ZAB by usin a board similar to those employed in the oast Artillery. In order to obtain greater exactness there could be shown by vmeans of a signal the precise moment when the objective attainsl the position corresponding to a previously indicated angle.

But in order to insure the continuity of the indications it is preferable to have recourse to the following device:

.In Fig. 1, B is a battery station, A an auX- iliary post and Z an aerial target.

At the post A is mounted perpendicularly to the line BA a board 1 provided with NR electric lamps arranged in R rows of N lamps. In each row the lamps are individually connected with the contact plates of a commutator-switch 2 on which rubs a movable contact 3, having the width of a plate and enabling the lamps to be lighted in succession. Oontinuity of movement may be given the contacts by any suitable means such as by a series of counting registers 6. The movable contact for the first row of lamps is moved by the displacement of the telescope L1 L2 (which is effected by hand wheel M) in such manner that the interval between two plates of the collector corresponds to a variation of the angle of sight equal to --I. That of the second row will correspond to Assuming, for instance, that N28 and Rzl the post A can by utilizing only 32 lamps transmit 84 over four thousand distinct signals and indicate the angle ZAB with precision to four hundredths of a degree.

In order to be able to reproduce the angle ZAB at the post B without the necessity of making any reading a telescope 4 is used provided with a total reflection prism allowing one to see simultaneously the image of the board of the post A and that of a small repeating board 5 actuated at the post B and indicating by means of a mechanism similar to the former the positions imparted by hand to the alidade b2. In order to facilitate the comparison of the images the rows of lamps of the repeater board are interposed between those of the transmitter post. In order to duly differentiate between the lamps of the two boards bulbs of different colors can be employed for each, or the small repeater board can be covered with masks giving a characteristic shape to the corresponding images. Four fixed lamps enable the images of both boards to be brought into agreement. When the distance AB is less than two kilometers the signals are ,ne IOWON.

and that of the last transmitted very clearly, even in full daylight, by employing lamps O amp. .3 to t volts spaced O' m. .15 apart.

At the post of the battery the alidade be will be operated direct by a mechanical transmitter with a differential gear in order to prevent the displacements of the plane of sight around BA from causing disadjustments of the alidade.

All the other arrangements described in the principal patent remain the same, especially that relating tothe transcription of the distance to the telechronograph.

As an alternative the lamps of the different rows at the post A could be arranged in concentric circles with a plain fixed lamp in the center, so as to constitute luminous indexes, the rotations of which could be reproduced at the post B by rotating suitably arranged reticulated members. If it is advisable to reduce the number of the lamps the luminous indexes could be constituted by means of movable arms each having a single lamp at its end.

The transmission of the dihedral angle which serves to indicate the objective chosen is eected with the' assistance of a similar device, without, however, its being necessary to seek so high a degree of exactness.

In order to utilize the Hertzian waves the transmitter could be provided with a manipulator for producing successively three distinct lengths of waves and, at the receiving post, a motor the electros of which would be actuated by three suitably synchronized relays.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. A system for regulating the firing of anti-aircraft guns by visual signals and without metallic conductors, comprising a battery station having a bank of lamps, and an auxiliary station provided with sighting means, means thereat for consecutively setting up sight angles comprising a bank of lamps automatically controlled by movements of said sighting device, optical means for associating the images of the two banks of lamps and alidade means at the battery station for reproducing the signals set up at the auxiliary station.

2. A system for regulating the iring of anti-aircraft guns by visual signals and without metallic conductors, comprising al battery station and an auxiliary station provided with sighting means, means or consecutively setting up thereatisight angles by luminous signals to be seen at the firing station comprising a bank of electric lamps automatically controlled by movements of the sighting device and means for duplicating said visual signals at the firing station, and optical means for associating the images of said two sets of signals for simultaneous observation.

In testimony whereoi1 I have signed this specification.

JOSEPH LOUIS ROUTIN. Witnesses:

HENRI MONIN, JOSEPH GEMENI. 

